In the years following World War II, visionary New Yorkers helped put Miami Beach on the map with the construction of the now-iconic Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels.
In the "Miami Vice" era of the 1980s, New York developers including the late Tony Goldman, Craig Robins, Mel Schlesser and Bob Christoff helped lead a revival of the city's South Beach district.
Now, in the wake of the Great Recession, New York developers and investors are again descending on the district, spending millions to upgrade historic hotels and acquire redevelopment sites.
The out-of-towners are promising to transform the vibrant city into an even more luxurious destination.
The Nakash family, whose Jordache Jeans were popular in the 1980s, is one. The family's Nakash Holdings owns five hotels in Miami Beach, including the Thompson Hotel Victor at 1144 Ocean Drive.
Nakash, which has acquired $2 billion worth of real estate in various markets in the past few years, is seeking city approval for a multimillion renovation of the hotel it bought for $27.5 million in July 2011. The company brought in Thompson Hotels to take the property to a higher level, said Jonathan Bennett, who leads Nakash's real estate division.
"[Thompson] is known for running ultra-chic, happening hotels with great restaurants and great scenes, night clubs and public spaces," he said. "They really know how to program their hotels."
Bennett, whose company is to close soon on a retail building in South Beach, said the Nakash family has made a significant investment in the city, especially in the last two years.
"Our investment in Miami Beach is well in the nine figures," he added.
The roster of other New York developers with big plans for Miami Beach includes the Chetrit Group, The Witkoff Group and the LeFrak Organization.
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